pinspired recipe: chuy's jalapeno ranch dip

When I lived in Texas, going to Chuy's happy hour and getting unlimited free nachos and their jalapeno ranch dip was a very regular occurrence. The dip was spicy, but delicious, and every time someone tried to make a copycat version, it was nowhere close to the original.

I had one hour to put together a dish for a Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday, so I figured it was time to give it a whirl myself. It's been a while since I've had the real deal, so I'm not entirely sure how it compares, but I can tell you it was delicious.

I took the easiest pinned recipe and altered it a little to what I thought would be best. Theirs:

Mine:

My recipe: 

Need:

• 16 oz fat free sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonaise
• handful of finely chopped, fresh cilantro
• 4 jalapenos, finely chopped
• juice from one lime
• 1/4 cup of milk [buttermilk may have been a better option]
• 1 packet of ranch DIP seasoning

Just mix all of those ingredients into a bowl or container, top with a couple leaves of cilantro to make it look pretty, and serve with Hint of Lime tortilla chips!

I'd recommend getting extra jalapenos and adding them until you think it's hot enough. The original called for two, and I could barely even taste it. Adding the two more made it perfect, in my opinion. 

It was also perfect for putting on top of the fajitas we made at the party. In fact, I think I'll make a bunch of this sauce just for that purpose... putting it on tacos, fajitas, wraps, whatever!

love,
elizabethany

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pinspired recipe: bacon cheeseburger dip is delicious

It's kinda a skewed concept: You're poor, so you invite people over to watch football, and make food. While I may be sparing myself about 20 calories, I probably spend just as much.

That doesn't matter when it's worth it, though! The other day I made this delicious looking bacon double cheeseburger dip!

Well, that's what the original picture looked like, anyway. Take a less experienced cook and food photographer, and this is what you get:

Pre-lettuce....

Post-lettuce [and grubbing, obviously.]

It may not look as delectable and presentable as the original, but lemme tell you- It was delicious! Here's how to do it: 

Needed [to make enough to keep at least 8 people happy]: 

• 1 lb ground beef
• 12 strips of bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 8 ounces of fat-free cream cheese [trying to save myself SOME of the calories!]
• 1 cup of fat free plain greek yogurt [or sour cream, if you're not cutting calories]
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 1/2-2 cups of cheese, your choice. We used cheddar and pepper jack.
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• Whatever spice you like to add when making burgers
• Lettuce, tomatoes, and any other toppings you include on your burgers.
• Tortilla chips or baguette slices

To do: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the ground beef in a pan with added spices and drain.
3. Cook the bacon until crispy, set aside, but keep about a tablespoon of grease.
4. Add the onion to the grease and saute until tender. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. 
5. Mix the ground beef, bacon, onions and garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, and ketchup and pour it into a baking dish. [I used an 9x9 dish] 
6. Bake until the cheese is golden brown and the sides are bubbling.
7. Let cool for a couple minutes, then add chopped up lettuce and diced tomatoes. 
8. Let everyone swoon!

I feel like everyone's been on the buffalo chicken dip bandwagon lately, which is delicious, but if you bring a little somethin' different, you'll earn points! And this is simple and enjoyable for everyone! [You could even make it with ground turkey for turkey burger dip, hayyy!]

If you try it, let me know!

love,
elizabethany

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